This invention relates to a multilayer light-sensitive silver halide photographic material. More specifically, it relates to a multilayer light-sensitive silver halide color photographic material (herinafter referred to simply as "color light-sensitive material") in which sharpness and color reproducibiliy of an image have been improved.
Conventionally, the techniques for improving color reproducibility and sharpness by emphasizing an inter image effect (hereinafter referrd to as "I.I.E.") with the use of DIR couplers have been known, and various compounds are used as these DIR compounds. For example, there may be included the so-called DIR couplers which form color forming dyes through the oxidized product of a color developing agent simultaneously with release of a developing inhibitor during development, the so-called DIR substances which release a developing inhibitor through the reaction with the oxidized product of a color developing agent but do not form a color forming dye, those which can release directly or indirectly a developing inhibitor through the reaction with the oxidized product of a color developing agent as disclosed in Japanese Provisional Patent Publications (JAPAN KOKAI) No. 145135/1979, No. 154234/1982, No. 162949/1983, No. 205150/1983, No. 195643/1984, No. 206834/1984, No. 206836/1984, No. 210440/1984 and No. 7429/1985 (hereinafter called timing DIR compounds). In the present specification, those exhibiting the above DIR effect are called comprehensively as the DIR compounds.
When these DIR compounds are used in light-sensitive silver halide color materials, developing inhibitors can be released from DIR compounds during development to obtain the effect of inhibiting development in other silver halide emulsion layers, namely I.I.E. Particularly, DIR compounds capable of releasing the so-called diffusive inhibiting groups or diffusive developing inhibitor precursors are effective. They have been used for silver halide color films in these days to give some effects. However, due to strong directional tendency of I.E.E. (for example, strong in the direction from a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer to a green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, but weak in the opposite direction), although improvement of saturation (chroma) of a specific color may be expected, an undesirable effect of "dislocation in hue" is accompanied therewith. Also, with respect to diffusiveness, since the inhibiting effect acts most strongly on the added layer, and therefore problems are involved such as lowering in gamma (.gamma.), lowering in sensitivity, lowering in color formed density, etc. Thus, it is difficult to use an amount which can give sufficient effects to other layers.
The techniques for emphasizing I.I.E. from a color-sensitive layer to a different color-sensitive layer with the use of the so-called diffusible DIR compound are disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (JAPAN KOKOKU) No. 47379/1980, Japanese Provisional Patent Publications (JAPAN KOKAI) No. 93344/1982, No. 56837/1982 and No. 131937/1984. Even by use of these techniques, only unsatisfactory improvement of color reproducibility can be expected under the present situation.
On the other hand, it has been known to improve sharpness of an image, when I.I.E. is created by use of the so-called diffusive DIR compound as disclosed in the above patent publications or specifications.
This is due to improvment of color contrast accompanied with I.I.E, which is the edge effect between layers in addition to the edge effect in the added layer.
However, the improvement in sharpness and color reproducibility by use of a DIR compound has not yet been made sufficiently.